


Ripples 2

by Grey (grey853)



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Angst, Drama, Episode Related: Deep Water, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 01:52:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/792659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grey853/pseuds/Grey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim and Blair struggle to maintain a working sentinel-guide relationship while they're involved with other people.<br/>This story is a sequel to Ripples.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ripples 2

## Ripples 2

by Grey

Author's webpage: <http://grey.ravenshadow.net/>

* * *

Disclaimer: Not mine, yet. 

Summary: Jim and Blair struggle with maintaining a working sentinel/guide relationship while they're involved with other people. 

Notes: The idea for this story occurred because of a discussion about the unpopularity of the guys being paired with others in the TS universe. There are spoilers for "Deep Water". Thanks to Jenn aka XFreak for the quick edits. 

Warning: If you don't like the idea of Jim and Blair being sexually and emotionally involved with others, don't read this series. This is slightly AU and has a prominent original character. 

* * *

Ripples 2  
by Grey 

Blair leaned against the railing of the deck looking out over the open garden. Warm breezes carried the grassy scents mingled with fresh turned soil and damp mulch. Fireflies flickered in the distance, the late buzzing and croaking of the night held at bay by the light tinkling of wind chimes and Celtic harps playing inside on the CD player. "Did I ever tell you how much I like your place?" 

"No." 

"It's peaceful out here. Better than a bar any day." 

"You don't visit much anymore, not since you moved out of that godawful warehouse." 

"It wasn't that bad, man." 

"I had nightmares of you being dragged off and beaten to death, Blair. Plus, it had rats the size of Cleveland. Now, that's bad energy." 

"You sound like my mom." 

Drew settled back in the lounge chair, his ankles crossed as he sipped white zinfandel. "I like your mother. Now there's a woman who could tempt even a gay man." 

"Believe me, she's tried." Blair laughed at the memory of the number of times his mother promoted the notion that most gay men were really bisexual if given the right motivation. "I remember when I was sixteen, she had a lover named Charlie who had a ton of friends to play with." 

"Play with?" 

"Charlie was not into monogamy or women only. It was a very educational summer." 

"For your mom or you?" 

"Both." 

Putting his wine on the table, his voice suddenly husky, Drew asked quietly, "Want to tell me about it?" 

"You like stories?" 

"About young love and beautiful boys just finding out what excites them, yeah, I like stories." 

"You would. Maybe later." 

"Promise?" 

"Like I said, maybe." 

"Tease." The older man held out his hand as he spoke, his voice a deep hush. "Don't be shy, Blair. You know you want to." 

"My whole life's a long story, Drew." Blair smiled and moved closer, sitting in the nearby chair. He leaned in and took his friend's offered hand, suddenly unsure of what to say. "Look, I'm not free right now." 

"You said you and Jim weren't together." 

"We're not, not in the traditional sense." 

Stroking the top of Blair's hand while he spoke, Drew kept his voice calm. "Then I don't understand. Is it me?" 

"It's not you. What Jim and I have, it's complicated. We've got this connection. He needs me." 

"How?" 

"I can't explain right now. It's personal." Blair met the brown eyes, the sadness stinging his own. "I don't want to ever hurt you, Drew. You've been a good friend. I love being with you. If things were different, I might even sleep with you, but I know you, and it wouldn't work." 

Pulling away, not angry, but his face grim, Drew shook his head. "I still don't get it." 

"You're not the kind of man who would be satisfied with casual sex." 

"Well, you're right there. Sex is never casual." 

"It can be. It doesn't have to mean so much. It can just feel good." 

"For you maybe." 

"Exactly." 

Drew sighed and swung his legs around and stood up, his shoulders not slumped, but rounded a bit. "You sell yourself short, Blair. You sell me short. I think we could be good together, but if you're not ready, if this Jim is who you need now, I'll respect that." He turned toward him and stared, his arms crossed. "But you have to know I've got feelings for you. I have for awhile now." 

"I know, and I'm flattered. But, I can't leave Jim." 

"No one's asking you to." 

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean stay with Jim if he needs you and if you need him. Why can't there be room in your life for more than one person?" 

"It could get messy." 

"Life's messy, but if you're worried about me being jealous, don't be, not if you include me." 

Blair ran his hand back through his hair, the gesture useless against the stubborn fall of curls. "This would be a lot easier if I didn't want you so much." 

"I don't want to make it easier. I want you." 

Sighing and closing his eyes, Blair spoke in a confused whisper. "I'm tired, Drew. I can't think right now." 

"Then I'll drive you home and you can call me in the morning." 

"I can call a cab." 

"I only had one glass of wine. I'll drive." 

Reluctantly, the younger man stood up as Drew came closer, his hand squeezing his shoulder gently. Blair turned towards the firm body, his face close, his breath warm with dry wine. Impulse took over and lips met. A strong hand cupped the back of Blair's head, the steady force heated and bold as he swallowed his own desperate whimpers, his balls aching for touch. Releasing him, Drew smiled. "Tell me you're not interested and I'll call you a liar." 

"Jesus, you don't play fair." 

"Never claimed to." Stepping back, he nudged him into the house. "Come on. Let's get you home so you can rest and think more clearly." 

"Bully." 

"Yeah, yeah. You live with a cop. Tell me you're not used to it." 

* * *

Jim leaned forward, bracing his arms on the sink as he checked his reflection in the mirror. Despite the earlier sexual frenzy, shadows etched his face, the deep blue circles under his eyes punctuating the fatigue drawing at his bones. Standing straighter, he rubbed his whiskers with both hands and groaned to himself. God, what was he thinking? Simon in his bed, making love, kissing, coming so sweet. 

Lord, what would Blair think? 

"You okay in there?" 

"I'm fine, Simon. I'll be out in a minute." He did a quick splash of cool water and then dried off. Stepping out into the hallway, he found Simon dressed and standing at the end of the counter. "I take it you're not staying the night?" 

"I figured I should probably leave before the kid gets home." 

"He could be out all night." 

"I doubt it, not after a day like today. Besides, there'd be too many questions in the morning." 

Frowning, his muscles heavy, Jim sank to the chair. "I don't like hiding, Simon. I've got enough secrets in my life already." 

"Are you saying you want to tell Sandburg about us?" 

"I think we have to." 

Simon shrugged, his face serious. "Yeah, some time, but not right away." 

"What? You think it won't last long enough to matter?" 

Suddenly standing with his shoulders squared, Simon's voice chilled the room. "That's a shitty thing to say, Ellison." 

Shaking his head, Jim covered his mouth before he finally spoke, his words breathy and catching. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little slap happy." 

"You say shit like that again, I'm liable to define the word." His voice softened as he stepped to the table and sat down across from Jim. The older man took his hand from his face and gripped it with both his own. "Listen to me, Jim. I'm not sure what's going on in that head of yours, but I'm not playing with you here. I meant what I said. I do love you. I just think that telling Blair right now might be too much to deal with. We're not even sure how we want to handle this between us, much less with him." 

"But he's part of this, Simon. He lives here. He has a right to know." 

"A right to know what?" Blair's body framed the doorway, his haggard face seriously confused. 

Jim stood up, nervous and talking too fast. "Damn it, Sandburg. I didn't even hear you come in." 

"Too busy holding Simon's hand to listen probably." 

Flushing, Jim stole a look at Simon only to have the larger man lean back and raise his hands in surrender. "Look, it's not what you think, Chief." 

Closing the door, Blair walked to the table staring first at Simon and then at Jim. "Tell me what I'm thinking, Jim, and you'll do us both a favor. I mean, my brain just took a major slam here. You and Simon? Since when?" 

"Since this evening." 

"Color me stunned, man." 

Simon cleared his throat, his voice unusually deep. "We were just wondering what you'd think about it." 

"It shouldn't matter what I think." 

"It matters a lot to Jim and me. You're a big part of both our lives." 

Blair shook his head and settled at the table, his face pale despite the bearded shadow. "I appreciate that, Simon. I do. Right now, it's a little hard to imagine. You and Jim? Really?" 

Smiling, his face smug and pleased, Simon nodded. "Yeah. It's a shock, I know. But, I couldn't help myself. I've been leaning that way for awhile now." 

"Took you long enough." Jim sat down, his face a little brighter. "He came over to see how I was doing and then one thing led to another and..." 

"Stop right there, Jim." Blair raised a hand and closed his eyes. "I've had a rough day myself and that's more than I need to know. What a night. Jesus." 

Jim tilted his head and noted the exhaustion. "You're wiped, Chief. Why don't you go to bed and we'll talk in the morning?" 

"Okay." He stood up and stopped as he touched Jim's shoulder. "I'm happy for you, man. Really." Turning his attention to Simon, he motioned with his head to the Jim's bedroom. "There's a perfectly good bed up there. No need to go home on my account. We're all free for the weekend. Stay if you want." 

"I'd like that." 

"Good. I'll see you two in the morning. I've got a few things to discuss, too." 

"Things, Chief?" 

"Well, actually one thing. A person I need to tell you about." 

"Wait a minute. A person? What person?" 

"Go to bed. First thing in the morning. Promise." 

As Blair shut the door, Jim frowned and met Simon's eyes. "What the hell's he talking about?" 

Simon stood up, taking Jim's wrist and pulling gently. "Upstairs, Jim. It's late." 

"You know he does this all the time." 

"What?" 

"Hints at shit and then makes me wait until he's ready to tell me. Typical passive-aggressive behavior." 

Simon groaned and pushed Jim ahead of him towards the stairs. "We'll talk about Sandburg later. Let's go to bed." 

Jim hesitated for just a moment before he smiled and wrapped an arm around Simon's waist. "I think I'm going to like hearing that, sir." 

"Good. To bed, detective. That's an order." 

"Promise to frisk me?" Walking up the stairs, Jim smiled as Simon promptly proceeded to search him all over. 

* * *

Blair rolled over. 

And over. 

Jesus. Jim and Simon. Fucking. 

He couldn't believe it, and yet he did. Some world class observer he turned out to be. Thinking back over the past he noted so many times when he should've suspected those deeper feelings. Jim's actions in Peru, his loyalty, his respect and submission to only one man, Simon Banks, his captain and friend and now his lover. 

Damn, he should've seen it. 

But he didn't, never even fucking suspected. 

Jesus. Now what? Where did he fit in? 

Probably nowhere. 

He glanced over at the duffel bag and wondered if he should save everyone the trouble and bad scene and just start packing. Swallowing down the hurt, he rolled over and sat up, his eyes gritty. He pulled on his jeans and T-shirt and headed towards the bathroom only to stop as he heard the low moans above him. The rhythmic creaking of the bed gathered force and Simon and Jim's rumble of love calls filtered down clearly. 

Shit, not again. Fucking insatiable. 

His own cock protested being left out, begging for attention. Resting his forehead on the wall, he groaned to himself, grabbed up his keys and headed out the doorway. He couldn't stay here, not now, not until he figured out what the hell he really felt about the idea of Jim letting someone touch him, letting any man have him who wasn't Blair Sandburg. 

* * *

"Blair?" Drew stood in the doorway, his fine brown hair still damp from the shower. "What's going on?" 

"I need to talk." 

"Come in. I've got tea made." 

"Thanks, man." Blair walked in, his body chilled by the early morning rain and low temperatures. Glancing around, he noted the long row of tall windows and the gloomy cast of light that only yesterday allowed sunshine. He headed back towards the kitchen and found Drew still in his dark blue robe pouring out the promised tea. Without speaking, he took the offered mug and sat at the rounded oak table. He didn't drink the hot liquid, but let the cup warm his palms, the heat welcome, the whiff of herbal blend soothing. After a few moments, Drew nudged his shoulder and offered him slippers. 

"What's this?" 

"You're barefoot." 

"Oh. Right." He put on the house shoes and sighed, embarrassed. "I sort of rushed out. I guess I wasn't thinking." 

"No jacket, no shoes. No thinking might do it. Want to tell me what happened?" 

"Nothing." 

"Try again." 

Blair sat back up, avoiding those eyes, avoiding saying what he didn't want to deal with. "Jim's involved with someone." 

"I see." 

"I wasn't really prepared for that. I guess I should've been." 

"And you found this out last night after I took you home?" 

"Yeah. Talk about a being shocked." He bit his lip and looked down sheepishly. "I hate admitting this, but I always thought it'd just stay the two of us." 

Drew sat down beside him, leaning forward, his voice a velvety hush. "You love him?" 

"Yeah, but it's not like that between us." 

"Like what?" 

"Sexual. I love him. But he's a friend, or at least I believed that until I found him with this other person." 

"And then what? You got jealous?" 

"Yeah, big time. I'm not even sure why." 

Drew sat back up, his face serious as he sipped his tea. After a few quiet moments, he finally spoke again, his voice rich and even. "You've set up your life around this man, Blair. I've never seen you happier. You forget I've known you for over 10 years. Since you've moved in with Jim, you've grown. You used to flit from one person to another, but you've been with him longer than anyone." 

"But I told you, I'm not with him like that." 

"Maybe not. But you're with him somehow. Now, you're worried he won't need you." 

Head down, Blair nodded. "This person he's with, well, they've known each other a long time. They're good friends and have a lot in common. Jim and I, well we're so different. I bug the hell out of him sometimes." 

"But you're a good friend." 

"I'd like to think so." 

Standing, Drew stepped to the stove. "You want breakfast? I don't have any algae shakes handy, but I'm whipping up some miso soup and the rice is already steamed." 

"Sounds good. Sure." 

As Drew moved around the kitchen, Blair sat back, his own words and fears gibbering in his head. He didn't even notice when Drew refilled his mug and put the rice and soup in front of him. The gentle squeeze on his shoulder brought him back to the present warmth of his friend's company. "Smells good." 

"Eat. Reflect. You'll figure out what to do. You've got good instincts, so trust them." 

Blair watched his friend settle down and eat the soup with his tea, his face relaxed and rested. "How do you do it?" 

"Do what?" 

"Stay so calm all the time." 

Smiling, Drew leaned back in his chair, his robe slipping open and exposing his smooth chest, his skin golden. "I'm not calm all the time. Believe me, I get upset and disappointed, but after awhile I figure out why things bother me and it's easier to handle." His voice softened as his face grew darker. "You remember how I was after Jason died. I wasn't calm then. I was angry. Pissed at the world and God and everybody who even tried to give a reason to his death." 

"I remember. I also remember you wrote some of the best poetry you've ever written." 

"And it was through writing that I found a way to use all that energy and turn it around. I got lucky. I've had the time Jason didn't have. You're still young yet. You've still got to figure out what's important to you." 

"But we never know how long we have. Jason was my age when he died." 

"I know." 

"I've had some close calls in the last year. It's changed how I feel about things, but I'm still confused. This thing with Jim has really thrown me. Now, all of a sudden I'm thinking about you, too. This could get really complicated." 

Tilting his head, his face more amused than grim, Drew whispered, "About me?" 

"Yeah." 

"And what were you thinking?" 

"About how much I like you. How I'd love to see what you look like naked." 

Without saying a word, Drew stood up and grinned. He untied his sash and opened the robe, slipping it off and handing it to Blair. "Take a good look. I'm going to get dressed now. We'll talk later." 

As Drew walked away, his bare ass a monument to fitness, Blair shook his head and gulped down enough air to say, "Wow." 

The End 


End file.
